Trucker arrested in $7.2 million drug bust

Updated Oct 13, 2020
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A truck driver was arrested in San Diego Friday, Oct. 9, when U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents found a huge cache of illegal narcotics stashed in a load of medical supplies.

$7.2 million drugs seized Friday in California (CBP photos)$7.2 million drugs seized Friday in California (CBP photos)

CBP agents seized an estimated $7.2 million in drugs including:

  • 3,014 pounds of methamphetamine
  • 64 pounds of heroin
  • 29 pounds of fentanyl powder
  • 37 pounds of fentanyl pills

A statement from the CBP said the seizure was the “second largest methamphetamine bust along the southwest border in the history of the agency.”

The CBP said the tractor-trailer driven by a Mexican citizen arrived at the Otay Mesa commercial facility at about 9:45 a.m. Friday. The shipment was manifested as medical supplies, but the inspecting officer decided to refer the driver, truck, and shipment for further inspection.

CBP officers screened the truck using the port’s imaging system and found anomalies with the rear of the trailer, according to the CBP. The truck was sent to the dock and a canine alerted to the boxes inside the trailer. Officers unloaded the shipment and found 1,816 packages among the medical supplies.

The driver, a 47–year-old driver was arrested and turned over to the joint investigative team from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. He will face criminal charges, according to the CBP’s statement.